Numerous Families of butterflies have evolved 'false eyes' on at least the dorsal surface of the fore and/or hind wings. As the normal resting position for butterflies is with wings raised then the very same species with dorsal eyespots may have ventral eyespots as well. Still other combinations are used depending on the behaviour of the species concerned. In the case of the shade-loving Palm King, which ranges from India to South East Asia, the eyespots are only present on the ventral parts of the hind wing. The Palm King also has the tips of the produced to give the illusion of a 'snout'. This individual has used its deception as it was designed to give the butterfly a second chance to contribute to the gene pool. That leaves the back-up pair though I have yet to encounter one with both pairs missing

This is the Bornean subspecies of the handsome Koh-i-noor. The distinctive moniker came from Persian translation “Mountain of Light" referring to a diamond mined in India. This stone was the largest known at the time and passed through the hands of various invaders to reside today as one of the British Monarchy's crown jewels. Presumably the namer of this butterfly had seen the diamond and marvelled at the silky blue reflections, also seen in the male of this butterfly. The female however replaces the blue bar with a muted brownish yellow. The ventral surfaces of both sexes closely resemble a single dead leaf

Amnosia decora feeds on oozing sap from a sapling machete wound with red-eyed fly. Oozing tree wounds can be an important food resource for small animals. Trunk wounds can occur when a large rainforest giant casts a limb in a storm, or due to rot. Large animals can damage trunks with their mouths and/or claws. Large insects can cause seepage from their under-bark burrowing, or equally, from chewing the bark from the outside. Lastly humans in forests for various reasons leave 'human height' trunk slashes as markers for recognising routes through uniform forest. The most interesting and somewhat unsettling trunk oozings I have encountered were in northern Sumatra on a trunk beside a well used track where scratch marks extended over two metres (6 feet) up a tree - there is only one contender for those marks. Amnosia decora extends from Peninsular Malaysia to Sumatra and Borneo

This Malay Lacewing has emerged in the early morning river mists over a Brunei rainforest. Like turning from a caterpillar into a chrysalis emerging from a chrysalis as a butterfly with shrunken wings is a vulnerable time. This is best achieved to the level of fully expanded and dried flight capable wings before the dawn chorus begins as the danger level for the butterfly will quickly increase as ambient light levels reach a stage where insectivorous birds can effectively hunt

Every day and night multi thousands of litres of arboreal mammal urine rains down onto foliage below the canopy of world rainforests, and occasionally some makes it directly to the ground. Concentrated salts are uncommon in a water saturated environment like a rainforest and are much valued by all animals from moths to clouded leopards. Wavy Maplet sips fresh monkey urine splashed on leaf below a fruiting canopy. Chersonesia rahria rahria occurs from Peninsular Malaysia to Sumatra, Java and Borneo

It is quite noticeable, during regular sunny periods, when a cloud bank drifts across the sun that all the sun-loving wildlife seem to disappear. In the case of a mapwing the simple raising of the wings causes them to 'vanish'. This Common Mapwing rests on sunny ledge as mountain cloud moves to force the butterfly to close its wings. Cyrestis maenalis seminigra is endemic to the Crocker range of north-eastern Sabah. Otherwise the species extends from the Philippines, to Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo

This Straightline Mapwing settles briefly on a leaf as it patrols a creekside territory. A lichen camouflaged Eurybrachyid bug rests near the left hindwing. There was also a resident stick insect present just out of frame. Cyrestis nivea extends from India, China, Thailand to the Philippines, Borneo, Malaysia and east to Indonesia crossing the Wallace Line east of Bali Island to Sumbawa Island

Dead leaves, whether freshly whole or old and fragmented, form the dominant ground cover in heavily vegetated habitats across the globe. Butterflies, and moths even more so, have exploited this background in tens of thousands of species level camouflage themes. A minority of butterflies, like the Leafwing, have employed the freshly dropped dying or dead 'whole of leaf' camouflage theme on their underwings. The standard leaf shape is adopted in combination with the central vein to complete the predator deception. Leafwings also add a temporal component to their theme by copying the green chlorophyll content at the major leaf fall event verses a more brown version in later emerging generations.The Leafwing is the most widely distributed of the 'leaf' butterflies ranging from India, Thailand, China, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, New Guinea, to Australia and the islands of the south Pacific

Dead leaves, whether freshly whole or old and fragmented, form the dominant ground cover in heavily vegetated habitats across the globe. Butterflies, and moths even more so, have exploited this background in tens of thousands of species level camouflage themes. A minority of butterflies, like the Leafwing, have employed the freshly dropped dying or dead 'whole of leaf' camouflage theme on their underwings. The standard leaf shape is adopted in combination with the central vein to complete the predator deception. Leafwings also add a temporal component to their theme by copying the green chlorophyll content at the major leaf fall event verses a more brown version in later emerging generations. The Leafwing is the most widely distributed of the 'leaf' butterflies ranging from India, Thailand, China, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, New Guinea, to Australia and the islands of the south Pacific

The so-called Crows could be described as the leisureIy flying arm of the large Family Nymphalidae. Perhaps their lazy flying style is a result of the confidence that they have in their inherent distastefulness. The Plain Blue Crow is represented by many subspecies ranging from India, Thailand, China, Malaysia, Indonesia to western New Guinea

Blue-banded Eggfly males are highly territorial chasing all manner of flying animals passing through their territories, even large dragonflies and small birds. Six subspecies occur on the eastern Indonesian group of islands known as the Moluccas or 'Spice Islands'

There are few butterflies that occur on Madagascar and Saudi Arabia as well as in Australasia and the south Pacific Islands. The males are consistent in their four purple-edged white blotches against a black background whereas females have the remarkable ability, at least in the eastern part of their range, to mimic or not to mimic poisonous butterflies they share habitats with. It is a mystery as to what determines this feminine choice. Maybe the density of available models (usually Crows) might be the clincher???

There are few butterflies that occur on Madagascar and Saudi Arabia as well as in Australasia and the south Pacific Islands. The males are consistent in their four purple-edged white blotches against a black background whereas females have the remarkable ability, at least in the eastern part of their range, to mimic or not to mimic poisonous butterflies they share habitats with. It is a mystery as to what determines this feminine choice. Maybe the density of available models (usually Crows) might be the clincher??? A amorous male has spied a female eggfly alighted on a leaf inside his territory. His hope is that she has not already mated with his competitors nearby

The large Common Tree Nymph has a remarkable flying style with long gaps between the wing flaps. It seems to the human observer that the insect should fall out of the sky but it never does unless it is taking the last flap of its life! The species ranges from India, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Indonesia to Borneo and the Philippines

A Common Tree Nymph rests between bouts of remarkable slow flapping flight pattern that carries them through their daily pollinating activities. The species ranges from India, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Indonesia to Borneo and the Philippines

Common Tree Nymphs sun themselves in early morning in preparation for the remarkable slow-flapping flight pattern that carries them through their pollinating activities. The species ranges from India, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Indonesia to Borneo and the Philippines

Blue Argus females have much larger eyespots and less blue on the hindwings than males. They are notoriously wary. In the tropics they tend to stick to drier habitats though may be encountered in the rainforest/savannah ecotone. There are numerous subspecies known from the South east Asian region

Blue Argus Junonia orythya F this is the Australian subspecies 'albicincta'. South east Asian subspecies are similar though females of some display little blue colouration WS to 42.0mm

This female Archduke sips mammal urine left the night before on a nocturnal drinking foray to the creek. Lexias dirtea chalcedonides is the Borneo subspecies, one of 20 described subspecies throughout the south east Asian region. Males are strongly sexually dichromatic with blue-green wing margins. The species ranges from India, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Indonesia to Borneo and the Philippines

The remarkable archduke caterpillar has six instars (moults) before forming a chrysalis. Most predators would think twice about eating such a spiny looking caterpillar, however this is a bluff as the spines are not venom tipped, nor detachable. If alarmed the normally laterally displaced spines are transformed into a spherical barrier when the body is arched and the head concealed. Even the eggs are covered in short spines

This is a powerful forest butterfly very difficult to intercept on the wing from a butterfly collector's perspective. However they can be seduced into immobility by the delicious smell of rotting pineapple and guava. The beautiful caterpillar wears a 'veil' of branched yellow-tipped spines creating an unpleasant barrier to predators and parasitoids. The spines are a 'bluff' and do not contain venomous tips. The species ranges from India, Thailand, China, Philippines, Malaysia, to Indonesia

There is quite a sizeable group of similar looking species in two genera occurring across Australasia. All of them are poisonous and some of them mimicked by harmless species. There are two approaches to mimicry here; a group of harmful species collectively reinforcing their message to a common predator(Mullerian mimicry); the more commonly known syndrome involves a harmless form copying a harmful form (Batesian mimicry). This confusing species ranges from Thailand, Burma to Malaysia and Indonesia

There is quite a sizeable group of similar looking species in two genera occurring across Australasia. All of them are poisonous and some of them mimicked by harmless species. There are two approaches to mimicry here; a group of harmful species collectively reinforcing their message to a common predator(Mullerian mimicry); the more commonly known syndrome involves a harmless form copying a harmful form (Batesian mimicry). This confusing species ranges from Thailand, Burma, Philippines to Malaysia and Indonesia

The Eastern Yellow Glassy Tiger exhibits the 'yellow arm' of the confusing glassy tiger and blue tiger complexes.There is quite a sizeable group of similar looking species in two genera occurring across Australasia. All of them are poisonous and some of them mimicked by harmless species. There are two approaches to mimicry here; a group of harmful species collectively reinforcing their message to a common predator(Mullerian mimicry); the more commonly known syndrome involves a harmless form copying a harmful form (Batesian mimicry). This species ranges from Sulawesi to the Moluccas Indonesia

The Clipper tends to favour sunny patchs in forest clearings, margins, roadways, railways and riversides. Their flight is distinctive; swift with a shallow flap punctuated by bouts of gliding. Both sexes are similarly patterned though both sexes are subject to moderate variation with many described subspecies throughout their large distribution.This handsome jerky glider ranges from India, Thailand, China, Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia to New Guinea and some south Pacific islands

Phaedyma (Sailer) species are often encountered at forest margins and in sunny gardens basking on favoured leafy perches. Their flight is distinctive comprising short glides. Just before you can imagine them falling from the sky they alight and resume surveying their surroundings. Short banded Sailers range from India, Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia to the lesser Sunda Islands

A male endemic Lombok Island subspecies of the Short-banded Sailer has spied a female entering his territory. They are often encountered at forest margins and in sunny gardens basking on favoured leafy perches. Their flight is distinctive comprising short glides. Just before you can imagine them falling from the sky they alight and resume surveying their surroundings. Short banded Sailers range from India, Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia to the lesser Sunda Islands

The genus Polyura contains the most powerful flyers of the Australasian Nymphalidae. The flight pattern seems to indicate that these butterflies appear to know exactly where they are going. Not only are they fast they have powerful brakes; blink as they power by and they 'disappear'. Like many tropical butterflies they will stop to sip at sap seeping from damaged trees. The Common Nawab has many subspecies reflecting its wide range from India, Thailand, China, Philippines to Malaysia and Indonesia

A male Jewelled Nawab suns itself whilst surveying creek flyway used by many flying insects and birds to traverse the rainforest in the daylight hours. The species ranges from India, Thailand, China, Peninsular Malaysia to the Philippines and Indonesia

A Plain Nawab joins bees sipping from a urination event left by a forest pig the previous night. The salts are important for cell metabolism and are normally heavily diluted in saturated rainforest environments. The species ranges from Thailand to Peninsular Malaysia and Indonesia whereas the genus, contains 25 species, ranges from Tibet, China, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Peninsular Malaysia to the Philippines and Borneo south east through Indonesia and New Guinea to Australia and as far east as New Caledonia

The velvet black and blue males of this species are in strong contrast to the mottled brown females. Both sexes are perchers, ususally with wings splayed. The females of a closely related species have been observed to have a fascinating way of determining as to whether a targeted foodplant is worth laying their eggs on. They have puncturing spines on their 'feet' and use them to burst surface plant cells and 'taste' them to assess palatability. The Horsfield's Baron has many subspecies reflecting its wide range from Thailand, China, Philippines to Malaysia, Borneo and Indonesia

The velvet black and blue males of this species are in strong contrast to the mottled brown females. Both sexes are perchers, ususally with wings splayed. The females of a closely related species have been observed to have a fascinating way of determining as to whether a targeted foodplant is worth laying their eggs on. They have puncturing spines on their 'feet' and use them to burst surface plant cells and 'taste' them to assess palatability. The Horsfield's Baron has many subspecies reflecting its wide range from Thailand, China, the Philippines, Borneo to Malaysia and Indonesia

A Royal Assyrian basks in a creekside glade near a small waterfall. The genus, containing seven species, ranges from China, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Peninsular Malaysia to the Philippines and Borneo south east through Indonesia to New Guinea and the Solomon Islands

The Blue Wanderer is aptly named as it occupies a quarter of the globe in both hemispheres. It does prefer the equatorial tropics though it can tolerate higher latitudes and even gallery forest penetrating into the deserts of Saudi Arabia. During the dry seasons of both hemispheres they are known to congregate in creek beds and gullies in large numbers

Tirumala hamata South east Asia (example from Queensland Australia) WS to 72.0mm

Cruisers are a sexually dichromatic species with twist - usually the male has the brighter, more complex patterns in most butterflies. In this case it is the female that exhibits the more pleasing outlook, at least to the human observer. A male Cruiser awaits unmated females alongside a rainforest creek that serves as a flyway for local flying animals. The Cruiser ranges from the Moluccas to New Guinea, Australia and the Solomon Islands

Zoogeographically speaking this species may demonstrate the dynamic nature of species expansion at the genetic level. One interpretation of its 'expansion' eastwards across the Wallace Line into Sulawesi suggests a recent expansion phenomenon. Given other congeneric (same genus) species of oriental origins have long preceded their eastward expansion then this begs a question or two. Could this expansion be stopped by competition? Both it and its fellow species share host plants at the generic level (Adenia and Passiflora species). This female Common Cruiser has emerged from its chrysalis before dawn to dry its wings in the filtered sun of early morning.